Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- adj. Using the left hand more skillfully or easily than the right.
- adj. Sports Swinging from left to right: a left-handed batter; a left-handed golfer.
- adj. Done with the left hand.
- adj. Intended for wear on or use by the left hand: left-handed scissors.
- adj. Awkward; maladroit.
- adj. Of doubtful sincerity; dubious: left-handed flattery; a left-handed compliment.
- adj. Of, relating to, or born of a morganatic marriage.
- adj. Turning or spiraling from right to left; counterclockwise.
- adj. Rotating counterclockwise; levorotatory.
- adv. With the left hand.
- adv. Sports From the left to the right: swings left-handed.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- Having the left hand or arm stronger and more capable of being used with facility than the right; using the left hand and arm in preference to the right.
- Characterized by direction or position toward the left hand; moving from right to left: as, a left-handed quartz crystal (one which rotates the plane of polarization to the left). See levogyrate and polarization.
- Clumsy; awkward; inexpert; unskilful.
- Insincere; sinister; malicious.
- Unlucky; inauspicious.
Wiktionary
- adj. Of or pertaining to one who uses his or her left hand in preference to, or more skillfully than, his or her right.
- adj. Intended to be worn on, or used by, the left hand.
- adj. Turning or spiraling from right to left; anticlockwise.
- adj. Awkward or maladroit.
GNU Webster's 1913
- adj. Having the left hand or arm stronger and more dexterous than the right; using the left hand and arm with more dexterity than the right.
- adj. Clumsy; awkward; unlucky; insincere; sinister; malicious.
- adj. Having a direction contrary to that of the hands of a watch when seen in front; -- said of a twist, a rotary motion, etc., looked at from a given direction.
WordNet 3.0
- adj. ironically ambiguous
- adj. lacking physical movement skills, especially with the hands
- adj. rotating to the left
- adj. (of marriages) of a marriage between one of royal or noble birth and one of lower rank; valid but with the understanding that the rank of the inferior remains unchanged and offspring do not succeed to titles or property of the superior
- adj. using or intended for the left hand
- adj. (of marriages) illicit or informal
Examples
“Mickelson, whose nickname "Lefty" refers to his left-handed golf swing, was voted into the World Golf Hall of Fame last fall.”
“They are similar to prepare for except for the fact of right and left," said Coughlin, referring to left-handed Vick and right-handed Young.”
“The International Monetary Fund's leader, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, may come out of a socialist party background, but the IMF's underlying trend became apparent at a morning reception where right-leaning coffee cups made it near impossible for the left-handed to drink without making a mess.”
The Washington Post: IMF tilts right in coffee-cup conspiracy?
“Interestingly, he swings right-handed, but putts left-handed.”
“Twenty years after being saved from unemployment by his reputation as a solid left-handed pitcher, David N. Mullany was once again out of work.”
“While they believe he is and will be fine, the Nationals are keeping an eye on the spring training progression of newly acquired left-handed starter Tom Gorzelanny, who suffered from a sinus infection and walking pneumonia for the two weeks immediately preceding spring training - "seriously bad timing," Gorzelanny said.”
The Washington Post: Illness before spring a slight complication for Tom Gorzelanny
“If Morgan falters, the Nationals could move to a platoon, perhaps with Werth taking center and Michael Morse taking right field against left-handed pitchers.”
The Washington Post: A welcome to Viera, and five things to watch for there
“Hitting Morgan leadoff is not tenable if he logs another .319 on-base percentage - including .280 against left-handed pitchers - with a 73 OPS+ while leading the league in getting caught stealing to boot.”
The Washington Post: A welcome to Viera, and five things to watch for there
“His teammates won't let him forget about missing a breakaway, left-handed dunk in the second quarter, even though he came back and made his next attempt with two hands.”
The Washington Post: Wizards finally play complete game on the road, defeat woeful Cavaliers
“The Nationals this offseason signed Ankiel, a speedy, left-handed outfielder whose skill set resembles Bernadina's.”
The Washington Post: Is Roger Bernadina a lock to make the Nationals?
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘left-handed’.
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Handy Words
List of words and phrases referring to the hand, hands, fist, or derivatives of the Latin manus, beginning with left-handed.
left-handed, double-fisted, fisticuffs, handy, right-handed, two-handed, manual, manumission, manuscript, manually, manustupration, manudiction and 164 more...
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Interesting words
A list of words that are odd or words that I have looked up.
concupiscence, brize, scree, scoria, forestaff, spanaemia, valetudinarianism, distasture, pyrethrum, laudanum, gentian, bicameral and 11184 more...
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big book gre
abase, abbess, abbey, abbot, abdicate, abdomen, abdominal, abduction, abed, aberration, abet, abeyance and 6691 more...
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Gil Blas
Interesting words and usages from Smollett's 1749 translation of Lesage's L'Histoire de Gil Blas de Santillane
reck, durance, rhodomontade, hangdog, trap, lustre, pin, boggle, dandle, birthday suit, colic, gripes and 238 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for left-handed.
hernesheir See surdo, cithog. Feb 17, 2010
reesetee Yes. :-) Sep 13, 2008
kewpid For the southpaws shall inherit the Earth. Sep 13, 2008
yarb Well, then! rejoined I, your reasons shall be conclusive with me, and your sage counsels my rule. Lay down the line of conduct I am to adopt for the prevention of any left-handed catastrophe.
- Lesage, The Adventures of Gil Blas of Santillane, tr. Smollett, bk 2 ch. 7 Sep 13, 2008